The 70th Hunger Games- A Percy Jackson Story
by Cryellow
Summary: Percy Jackson, age 17, lives in Panem in District 4. His best friends Grover and Tyson are out of the age range for the reaping pool, but he isn't. What will happen in this thrilling tale of terror, pain, and friendship? Will Percy Jackson really be able to muder another human, another teenager at that? Will he survive the Hunger Games? PJO/Hoo Au- Everyone lives in Panem!
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note:**_ Hey guys! So I came up with this idea and it's been forming in my head pretty nicely over the course of a few weeks. Now, it's _kinda_ a crossover, but to me that means different things. In this story, the stories swap places, settings, worlds. Now, I'm not going to write the Hunger Games portion of this fanfic, because I have literally _no_ idea how that'd end. Something like Katniss is a daughter of Apollo and so is Prim, but Peeta is a son of Demeter? And Gale as maybe a son of Hephaestus? I really don't know, but those ideas sound totally off to me. I _guess_ I could see that, if you really wanted me to write it, but I'm sticking to the PJO and HOO part first. I'm in both fandoms at least, so I _could_. This part, however, the one you're about to read, is set in Panem during the 70th Hunger Games, with Percy as the main character. If you still don't get it- just relax and read since it's about to get _hella_ interesting.

 _Summary_ : Percy Jackson lives in District 4. What happens when his name is one of many in the reaping pool? What happens when he meets the other opponents, and finds that they have lives to? The 70th Hunger Games is looking to be spectacular, on all accounts. Will Percy Jackson join the careers, or will he stick to his own script? What will the Capitol have to say if he does? What happens if President Kronos doesn't like all the mysterious talk about rebellion among the Districts? Percy Jackson AU- Where everyone is in Panem. (Not calling it a crossover, since I only use Percy Jackson characters).

Disclaimers: I don't own a damn thing. Not PJO, HOO, or HG. Those reservations go to Suzanne Collins and Rick the mighty Riordan.

Warnings: Eh, it's a mix of horrible pain, gore, and well, sadness and misery. It's the Hunger Games people. Major character death/minor character death. A whole lot of death, so prepare yourself.

~~~!~~~

Percy's POV

My jaw hurt from clenching so hard. I resisted the urge to bawl my eyes out by shear force of will. I stood among the hundreds of kids, and wondered how I had gotten to this point. The whole day flashed in my mind.

I woke up in my bed, not exactly a comfortable bed, but mine nonetheless. I glanced over to the little window on the far wall of my bedroom. It was bright out, probably around 8 o' clock or so. With a sigh I got up and got dressed into something not my bed clothes, which ended up being a soft cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and left to get breakfast in the dining room. My house was a moderate size, well, at least enough for my mother, my stepfather, and me.

My mother, Sally Blofis sat at the table, putting grain on a plate for me as I walked in. Paul was also at the table, and looked up with a warm smile as I sat in front of them both.

"Morning," I said a little quiet as I dug into my food. Grain and fish. Well, not the good fish, like the big trout and the bass that the fishermen caught past the dams. No, this fish was the tiny sardine kind. It was pretty much the leftovers from the fishing, and whatever that wouldn't be good on the market. I seriously hated it. Couldn't we get anything else to eat? I wasn't sure what kind of food I would prefer, but anything is better than this. Rabbit maybe? Or maybe some chicken. Yeah, that sounded _way_ better than fish.

"Morning," Paul replied, trying to keep everything light. It was a little hard, considering what day it was. All three of us knew what day it was. It wasn't a day any family in Panem could forget. Mom looked at me with misery in her eyes. I _hated_ today, just for that reason. Her sad eyes, that looked at me like the world was ending. Today had always been hard for mom, just like every other mom in the country. Today was reaping day.

With a soft _clink_ , Paul's fork dropped on his plate as he got up to place his dish in the sink. Right. Paul still had to work today, even if I didn't have school. When the time came for the announcements, he could leave work to go and see the reaping for himself, but only after he had worked a few hours.

My stepfather is a fisherman. He's one of many in our District, which in case I forgot to mention, is District Four. He's great at his job, from what his coworkers always tell me. He's even taught me a few times, mainly on how to use his trident and swim, but it's still good practice.

I wish Paul was my real dad. It's not that he doesn't treat me like I am already, but it would have saved my mom and I a lot of trouble. My real dad...he was fantastic, don't get me wrong. He loved my mom with all his heart. About a year after their wedding, they were destined to have me. My mom says that dad had loved me almost more than he had loved her. I wish I remembered him; then I could judge for myself, but Poseidon Smith had died a few months before my first birthday. The only thing I remember of him is a warm smile, but then again I could have conjured it up in my head.

It sounded better than picturing his death, anyway. See, a lot of people in District Four go missing by the water. Mysterious runaways on boating missions or shipwrecked fisherman lost at sea. My father was one of those. What one of his coworkers had told my mother was that he had gone to get his shrimp net, and then my father fell into the water and drowned.

Yeah, like I buy that crap.

Anyway, when my father died, mom was a mess. She tried with all her heart to take care of me and eventually came to the conclusion that a small candy vending job couldn't provide for the both of us. That's when she met Gabe. He was the worst jackass I'd ever meet. He was abusive, a drunk, and the worst person in Panem. Well, next to President Kronos of course, but I digress.

After a few years, like a good ten to be exact, my mother met Paul Blofis. Suddenly without warning Gabe Ugliano got a "surprise" death during his job with maintenance of the dam. Yeah, I say "surprise" because if I'm being honest with you, I have strict suspicion that my mother messed with Gabe's equipment before he left for work that day.

I am extremely proud of my mother. Good riddance and have fun rotting in hell, asshole.

Anyway, my mom ended up needing "comfort after Gabe's horrible death." This she found in Paul Blofis and the guys been with us ever since. Now, don't get me wrong, my mother's love life is kind of a complete mess, but she's only done what's best for us both. She really wasn't expecting a payoff from Panem after his death, but it was nice anyway. She used that money for a wedding with Paul, so needless to say it was put to good use. To make things simpler to those who have a messed up brain like me- Paul's the only real dad I've ever had. I love that guy more than I care to admit. He's wonderful to my mom, and he's always there if I need some relationship advice, some homework help, or general moral support.

Okay, enough backstory, back to the now, where Paul's leaving for work and mom is kissing him solemnly on the cheek.

"Everything will be fine Sally," Paul said softly to her. With lowered eyes she shook her head.

"Percy's taken too many rations," She replied quietly. I laughed at her, trying to keep things light. I never liked seeing her like this. It depressed me more than the Games did, and that's saying something. Unfortunately, that's what this is all about. Today was the annual reaping day for the Hunger Games, a brutal fight to the death between twenty-four teenage kids from all twelve Districts. For some of the stronger and older teens (myself obviously not included because although I'm seventeen I am a total wimp with a pretty poor family) they _volunteer_ for the Games. They want to be in them, to fight to the death, and win for our District. Let me just say, that's completely stupid. I value my own life much more than that. I'm not suicidal.

"My name's not the only one in there, mom. You can ask Grover. Besides, if I am called on, someone will volunteer for me _long_ before they even finished my name. Some of these kids are crazy, you know that." I said confidently. I was honestly just trying to make her feel better. No one would volunteer for me, I'm seventeen. They'd expect _me_ to be the one volunteering.

"I'm worried about Grover and Tyson too," My mom said seriously. Here, let me give you the spark notes version- Grover's been my best friend since I can't even remember when. He's like a year older than me with a stringy goatee, brown curly hair, and a cheery smile. Since he's eighteen, he had to get a job to provide for his family. He works as an environmentalist for the plant life and the ocean where we do most of our fishing. Tyson is like my younger brother. He's a little slow at times, but he's got a heart of gold. Most of the time not spent learning about fishing with Paul or doing chores for my mom was spent hanging out with them.

Tyson's name wasn't in the reaping pool today, since he's only eleven, but his older brother Briares' name is. Tyson's pretty messed up about it, but taking him out for a swim will probably get him out of that funk. I hope so, anyway. Grover's name isn't in the pool either, since he officially reached the age of eighteen like three days ago. Lucky bastard. Anyway, he lives with his Uncle Ferdinand and he never had to get too many rations. I wish I was that prosperous, but last year was a rough fishing season, leaving my family without a lot of food. I didn't have a choice but to sign up for rations, causing my name to be in the reaping pool about twenty times this year.

"It'll be fine, mom. Really. I'm going to go for a swim with Tyson and Grover. Maybe that'll calm his nerves. You remember how he was yesterday, all nervous energy. It'll do him some good." My mother sighed and tried for a smile as I got up, cleared my own plate, and headed toward my bedroom in search of my bathing suit.

"Okay, Percy,"

~~~!~~~

Tyson, Grover, and I sat on a little beach near the water, soaking wet. Saltwater was one of my favorite smells, if I'm honest. I could spend all day just sitting there on the beach, my hands in the sand and my back dripping with water. I looked over at my companions and saw Grover examining a sliver of seaweed and Tyson brushing off a seashell from the ground. He looked like he was feeling better after our swim, at least. We had an hour until everyone had to be in the town square or watch from home on T.V.

"You think Juniper will be okay?" asked Grover, shaking water out of his brown locks and looking at me with a worried expression. The seaweed he had had in his hand laid discarded on the beach a few inches away from the surf. I bit my lip as I looked at him.

"Honestly? I don't know." I said. I wanted to tell him that Juniper would be okay, that his sixteen year old girlfriend with only four slips in the pool would be okay, but I couldn't. It'd be lying to him. Juniper had brown shoulder length hair, elvish features, and an obsession with everything plants. The two of them were a match made in heaven and Grover was totally hooked, even if it was a little awkward that she was in high school and he had a full time job.

"Do you think _you'll_ be okay? Dude, you have like twenty of them in there," Grover said, his eyebrows pinched in concentration. I took a worried look at Tyson, who had finished cleaning the shell, and was working on another one. I decided to speak freely, since it was only the two of them there.

"I think all of this is bullshit," I said plainly. Grover gasped and looked at me shocked, his mouth wide open.

"You _can't_ say that," He said hushed.

"Why not?! It is! All of it! Seventy years of a dumb grudge! Seventy years of murder, while we watch our friends die one by one!" I said heatedly.

"Sh!" Grover said urgently, looking around, but there was no one here but us. The three of us were alone on the beach.

I sighed reluctantly, not really wanting to scare Grover but knowing what I had said was the truth. "I just hate _the look."_

I didn't give it a proper name but Grover knew exactly what I was talking about. It was the reaping day mom look™. The my-child-is-in-horrible-danger-but-there-is-nothing-I-could-possibly-do-about-any-of-it look.

"Oh come on. You know afterwards your mom is going to make her famous blue cake and we can celebrate the poor sap who'll volunteer for a game of murder." Grover said rolling his eyes. I laughed, bent over a little at the statement.

"Game of murder? Wow, G-man, that's even lame for you. And dark. You must be getting morbid in your old age."

"You know it's true," was all Grover said. I looked over the horizon, taking a deep breath. The sun was a little higher in the sky, and I forgot that I still had to change. Have to look good for T.V., or they'll think we're almost as bad as District 12. Heh. As if.

"I got to go," I said with a sigh. Grover nodded his head and stood up, offering me a hand. I took it and walked over to where Tyson was, a handful of clean seashells in his sandy fists. "Hey, buddy."

Tyson looked up at Grover and I with a frown. "Will they take Briares away? They can't take him! I won't let them!"

His eyebrows went downward in a determined scowl as he looked at the two of us like _we_ were the ones who would take his older brother. I put my hands on his shoulders and looked into the childish face. His brown eyes turned to me with tears in them, a few already having made their way down his face.

"He'll be fine, I promise," I told him. He looked doubtful, but nodded his head nonetheless. With a hopeful smile I helped Tyson get up, stuff his pockets, and the three of us left the beach, anxious for the reaping.

~~~!~~~

Before I walked into the roped off area, or as I like to call it the sheep pen, my mom kissed me on the cheek. Paul stood beside her smelling dully like fish after his shift.

"Tonight: Blue cake and relaxation," my mother's soft voice said.

"Sounds good Mom," I said with a confident smile. I tried to be brave, but honestly I didn't have a whole lot of hope.

"I love you, Percy." she said, her brown eyes meeting my sea green ones.

"I love you too, Mom." It took me a minute, but I was able to pull away from my mother and walk into the roped off area where they drew my blood and herded me with all the other teenage boys. I saw Grover with his uncle Ferdinand, Tyson, my mom, and Paul. All of them were looking expectantly at me and I fidgeted with my blue button up. It was a nice shirt and probably the best thing I owned, which didn't say much, but it also was from my mom to my dad, so it had quite a lot of sentimental value. I looked forward instead, the sight of my loved ones a little too hard to bear.

Up front was Hestia Spiti, District Four's mayor in a nice brown dress and a sad smile. Of all the people I hated in Panem, Mayor Hestia was not one of those people. She was kind, and she would never say it aloud, but the way she acted during the reaping, and even when they showed the Games in the square, you could tell she never approved. Of any of it. She had a sort of spunk mixed with a warm aura that had always made me respect her more than the Peacekeepers. Let me tell you, those assholes were _harsh_. To say the least. I've never really done anything _really_ illegal, save swim after dark once and talk bad about the Capitol, and some of the stories I heard are terrifying. There are stories of whippings and the gallows, and apparently one of the Peacekeepers used to be from District Twelve, where he supposedly murdered a guy because he had his fire on too long at the forges. Dark stuff, man. Even with all that talk, I still chafe under orders, rules, and generally _anything_ that wants to rule my life. Well...except my mom of course. Anyway, back to the front of the stage.

Next to Mayor Hestia sat Amphrtrite and Triton. _Those_ were the real victims in all of this. Amphritrite was about her late 30's, but Triton was only early 20's. Both of them were victors, survivors of the Hunger Games in previous years. I didn't see Amphritrite's Games when it happened, but I've seen the reruns on T.V. She ripped a guy's neck off with her teeth. Triton won his Games, the Sixty-first Hunger Games by drowning a brunette in a pool of the kid's own blood. Now, that all might sound vicious, and it is, but the main thing is that they survived. Both of them got out of it alive, and lived to tell the horrible tales and the nightmares. Trust me, you can see it on their faces. They get nightmares like no tomorrow. Now they get to mentor the next contestants in the Hunger Games, living it over and over again and watching so many teenagers die. It would drive me insane.

The last person up there was Kym. Well, in all honesty her name was Kymopleia, but I've always like Kym. It's easier to say, at least. She's from the Capitol, and her main purpose in life is to escort the two teenagers from our district around for the whole week before the Hunger Games even start. That's right. A whole week of torture and humiliation before death by combat of happenstance. They parade you around, examine your skill like you're some test subject, interview you like some celebrity host, and then you are thrown in the arena to fight to the death. All for an epic prize of your literal life, food for your District for the year, a victory tour, and a nice little house in the Victor's Village. Oh, and you can never be in another Hunger Games, and you are exempt from all school stuff and working forever, since you get an awesome amount of money.

Anyway, well Kym was dressed in all green, like an _ugly_ green, not like the smooth water down by the beach, more like a murky baby poop color. She had an ugly dress in the color, a long flowy wig in the color, and even a complete make up kit, in that color. It was horrifying to even look at.

"Good morning District Four and prepare yourselves for the seventieth annual Hunger Games!" Kym says in an excited voice. Some of the people in the crowd cheer, while others don't. I love my District, but some of the people here are _really_ fucked up.

After the initial greetings and the movie about our _great_ past, where the Districts lost the war against the Capitol after North America fell, yada yada yada. Honestly I zone out during it, my brain usually in other places. By the time I _do_ come to my senses, Kym has reached a long green nailed hand into the fishbowl looking cup with the girl's names on it.

"Rachel Dare!" Kym shouts out excitedly. The cameras point to the red head, who looks entirely too shocked, and Peacekeepers walk forward to help her along. The girl looked so shocked and terror ridden that I didn't even know what to think of her. Could this girl really win the Hunger Games for our district? I was sure doubtful, but hey, what do I know? With a smile Kym greets Rachel on the platform. "Why hello Rachel! Is there anyone who would like to volunteer for Ms. Dare? No? Okay, then. Now for the gentlemen!"

With bated breathe I watch as she scoops up a name and smiles for the crowd.

"Briares Efchristo!" she says with that smile of her's. I take a satisfied breathe as I look at the poor soul who's probably going to lose his life. With a jolt I look straight into the face I knew - _Tyson?!_ But, no, he was off next to my mother, screaming his head off and crying. He was straight up _wailing_ and I realized who it was that I was looking at. It was Tyson's brother, the one who I had told him would be completely fine. No, the one I had _promised_ would be fine. I clenched my jaw, willing myself not to look at Tyson or anyone else over there.

I watched as Briares got up on stage, the twelve year old looking scared beyond his wits. I heard a few boys from my grade laugh at the prospect of this kid winning the Hunger Games. I clenched my jaw tighter as I heard another wave of Tyson's wails over the crowd. Maybe I could hear him best because I knew what I was listening for, because no one made any movement or sign that they heard him.

"Hello there, Briares!" With a wave of her hand she motioned to the crowd of boys below her, myself included, and looked at us expectantly. "Is there anyone who would like to volunteer for Mr-"

"I volunteer as tribute!" I scream loudly, loud enough so that Tyson could hear me. I avoided my eyes from looking at the crowd of my loved ones and looked determinedly at Briares. I walk forward before the Peacekeepers can lead me up and with a grateful and scared look my way, did Briares run off the stage. My jaw was going to be sore, I knew it, because I was clenching _far_ too hard. I willed myself not to cry and faced Kym with my shoulders straight. I must look pretty intimidating, because Rachel was looking at me scared and surprised all at once.

The irony wasn't lost to me- here I was, the one who had promised himself never to be the one to volunteer and here I was, taking the place of Briares with courage. Mainly so because of Tyson. I couldn't do that to him. I couldn't leave him so alone, especially because their mother was always leaving them neglected. Tyson _needed_ Briares, and I was determined not to let him go without.

"Well, well, well! You're awfully handsome, aren't you? And what's your name?" Kym asked me with a wink. I felt a wave of nausea as I looked from Kym over to my family on the sidelines. I could barely see them, but what I did see chilled me to the bone. My mother was on the floor with Paul holding her with strong arms. Grover was restraining Tyson, who seemed to want to run onstage and kick Kym in her ugly green face. With a swallow and a firm look, I faced my home.

"My name's Percy Jackson." I said dully. I needed to get a set stance. How do I want Panem to see me? With quick thinking I decided. Brave, powerful, scary, and bored. So that's what I went for. Instead of succumbing to tears, I imagined that I was in class watching the same power point over and over again.

"Come to take your place among the victors, Percy? Can't have such a little boy winning for the District, can we?" Kym said with a laugh. I looked at her, blinking my eyes.

"He's my friend's brother," I said plainly. I wanted it known- I wasn't here for glory, I was here for someone else. I was here for Tyson. I couldn't see him get hurt or sick while his brother is fighting to the death on stage. I couldn't let him watch that. I might not know Briares very well, but Tyson was almost blood. Sure, I would have taken care of him in his brother's wake, but this is easier. This was the only sure fire way that Tyson would be okay. "I made a promise to someone, and I intend to keep it."

"Well that's awfully brave of you, Percy!" Kym said with a smile and waving over to Rachel. "Now, tributes, shake hands!"

I shook hands with the red head who seemed in awe that I would volunteer for someone and _not_ be in it for the glory.

~~~!~~~

The next few minutes and I was in the Justice Building, my back straight and my butt sitting on a fancy sofa. I'd been here before, with my mother, when Gabe had died. Admittedly, I'd also been here when my own father had died, but I was less than a year old.

I sat and looked at my hands, wondering how in the world I was supposed to survive the Hunger Games. With a knock, a blue-clad figure sprinted in and tackled me to the back of the sofa. I heard her sobs in my hair, and I knew that my mother was a complete mess.

" _How dare you_ ," She said angrily. I looked up towards the door and saw Paul looking at me with a scowl on his face.

"I can't let Briares do this, mom. I promised Tyson- I promised him that his brother would be okay. I can't break that promise." I said looking into Paul's eyes. His scowl lessened and I knew he understood. A promise is a promise, and I'm not one to break them easily. My mother broke away from her bone crushing hug and looked me fiercely in the eyes.

"You come back, do you understand me, Percy Jackson? You will come back home, and when you get back we'll have blue cake. You have to _win_ Percy. You have to try."

With a gulp I nodded my head. I would try. I'd try the best I could, but I'm not a killer. I'm not someone who can watch the Games every year and pinpoint mistakes in form, or comment about how good a particular death was. I wasn't even particularly _strong_. I'm fit, sure. I swim quite a lot with Paul, Grover, and Tyson, and I even like to spear fish in the water if the weathers good for it, but running and killing? I wasn't so sure, but I nodded my head anyway. I felt as my mom littered my face with kisses and held me for minutes.

My eyes wandered back to Paul, his expression turned sad by this point, and his shoulders were sagging a little. I looked at him with one message- _take care of her_. With the slightest nod I knew Paul understood. He wouldn't let my mom fall in a whole. He wouldn't let her beat herself up for this. _Thank you_ , I mouthed to him.

Then, suddenly our time was up. Peacekeepers entered the room while Paul slowly extracted me from her arms talking soothingly to her.

"Sh, it's okay Sally. He'll be fine. It's Percy."

"I love you guys. Both of you." I said, looking at my parents with upturned eyebrows.

"We love you, too." Paul said, guiding Sally away from me. I heard my mom's sobs once more as they both left the room.

I sat in a numb state for a minute or two, wondering if what I had done was right. With a soft knock two more people entered. Grover, followed by a tear-stained Tyson.

"Percy you can't!" Was all Tyson said before he broke down in tears and jumped into my lap, burying his brown head into my chest. I felt his tears falling through my shirt.

"Not you, too." I said groaning. "I just got this from my mom."

Tyson took that as an invitation to shift himself so he was sitting in my lap looking at me with desperate eyes. Grover sat next to me, his hands in his pockets. I looked down at Tyson with a soft and loving expression.

"I promised you, Ty." I said, using his nickname I gave him forever ago. He used to hate it, since I had used it since he was like six, but he didn't protest today. "I promised that your brother would be fine, and look, he is."

"But I'm not!" He said sadly. "Now I get to watch my other brother go on T.V."

"Oh come on, that's not fair." I said looking at Tyson. I shook my head and turned to look at Grover. "You get it, don't you Grover?"

"No, Percy, I don't." Grover said seriously. "This was your last reaping. Why?"

"Briares- he's too young," I said honestly. "He's _twelve_. He's better at home, with Tyson, and going to school. I-I'm seventeen. I'm not really strong, but it'll be easier for me."

Tyson crawled off my lap and stared up at me. "So you'll try?"

"Of course I'll try, what gave you that impression?"

"You looked bored up there. You looked like you didn't care."

"Well I do. I only looked like that so I can scare the other tributes. Maybe if they pee themselves enough I can win by default," I said sarcastically. That lit Tyson up like a light and he laughed through his tears. I chanced a glance over at my best friend. Grover looked up at me solemnly and then suddenly we were hugging and patting each other on the back.

"Make sure their okay, you hear? All of them." I said quietly, only to him.

"I got you, man." He said as we broke away. The next minute I was alone again, a gaping hole in my heart where my friends and family used to be. I knew I would die- I would never be one of the careers. I wasn't strong and I didn't train enough. I could only hope to die in a way that would _possibly_ not be too brutal to look at on T.V. Maybe I could die of thirst or something, something that would seem simpler than getting stabbed eight times, or maybe getting shot with an arrow to the heart.

With those cheery thoughts I was herded outside the Justice Building and onto a train with Rachel Dare. The whole time I looked dully at all the press and the people moving around, making no move to cry or anything like that. I was mainly surprised by myself. I hadn't cried when I saw my mother and I hadn't cried with Tyson. I guess it was shock, because I'm not usually one to ball up my feelings. Usually I cry my eyes out, but right now I didn't really feel anything but a numb sense that my shirt was heavier before. I looked down at it as I stepped into the train that would take us to the Capitol, and saw something my mother seemed to have pinned to my button up. It was a pin- a green and blue trident with bronze highlights here and there. I bit my lip and held on to the last thing my mother would probably ever give me.

Rachel and I stood in a sort of dining car. I guessed so anyway, since there were about twenty plates of food, a basket of fresh fruit, and a separate table laden with all manner of drinks. I stared at the food, my mouth watering at the sight of something like- was that _bacon?_ The last time I had bacon was probably never, but I knew that some of the merchants, mayors, and victors had that kind of food. My stomach grumbled as I looked around. Isn't Kym supposed to order us around? I decided not to wait and got a plate full of different foods, which I began eating at a table near the food. Rachel Dare, obviously not knowing what to do, followed my lead and sat in front of me, her hair a little frizzy from the heat. I stuffed food in my mouth, not caring if it wasn't proper etiquette.

"You eat like an animal, you know that?" Rachel said, a sausage halfway to her mouth. I paused, looked up at her with a grunt, and started eating again. I swallowed a mouthful of some type of roast chicken and wiped my mouth with a napkin on the table. I looked her up and down for a moment, trying to place where I'd seen her before.

"I've seen you around," I decided, pointing my fork at her accusingly. "You look pretty good, so I'd guess you're a merchant's kid? You aren't in my year, I'd know if you were."

Rachel shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "You wouldn't see me in your year. You're right about the merchant kid part but only a little. My dad, he creates a lot of the buildings for our District specifically. He got special permission by Mayor Hestia so I could be taught at home."

"Why the special treatment?" I asked her blatantly. I didn't understand- special permission for what? School was school, we learned about the dams and the ocean, how to treat it and how to catch things from it. It wasn't rocket science and it wasn't too hard. Even the dumbest kid could probably learn the proper techniques with time.

"Well- I, uh..." She said, her eyes going a little glassy. Her eyes were like an emerald green and seemed to hold knowledge I could never dream of. Weird. "I was supposed to be training to be future mayor...Lady Hestia recommended it herself. She said there were things they didn't teach you in school, so she suggested that I get home schooled...by her."

"Woah, you got home schooled by the _mayor_? Who are you?"

"I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare," the red head said. "My friends call me Red."

"Not to be rude, but friends? I thought you were home schooled." I said stupidly. Red, however, took it with a smile.

"Yeah, that doesn't mean I don't know anyone."

"Okay, then."

"Your mom, for example." Red said, her smile still on her face. "She runs the little candy cart down by the bridge. I buy her caramels sometimes."

With a stone in my throat I put my fork down and pushed my plate away. I looked her dead in the eyes, a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Don't talk about my mother," I said quietly, hoping I sounded deadly. To me I sounded scared but everyone hears themselves differently. It seemed to work on Rachel, because she opened her mouth about to say something- probably an apology- but I ignored it. "We aren't friends. This- this Game that the Capitol has us playing? I don't like it. I never have. But."

I said, taking my fork back from my plate and jamming it into a solid roast beef slice on her plate, a few inches from her chin.

"I will win, because I have people at home waiting for me. I'm not here to make friends, Rachel. I'm here to go back home."

Blinking her eyes, she leaned back in her seat, getting farther away from me. Suddenly there was a laugh and a sharp breath behind me and I turned to see who it was. There, standing with a shocked look on her face, was Kym, followed by Triton and Amphritrite, Triton being the one who laughed and Amphritrite being the one who gasped.

"He's got spunk," Triton said as he came to sit beside me in the booth. Up close I could get a better look at him then the Games I'd seen years prior. He had nice short black hair and blue eyes. His smile reminded me of a shark and his steep jaw probably could have cut cheese.

Amphritrite went and sat next to Rachel, who still looked shocked that I would stab her beef, looking at me accusingly. Kym, feeling left out, pulled up a chair from a nearby table and put it at the end. Amphritrite, her hands folded, make a _tsk_ sound. "Yes he has spunk, but let's reserve the fighting for the Arena, yes? We have other matters."

"Well, we were expecting you guys to shower right after you got on, but sadly we were wrong," Kym said, throwing her long poop green locks behind her shoulder. "We should be getting to the Capitol in a few hours, since we aren't that far from it. When you arrive there you will be prepped and given to your stylists!"

Kym said it like it was a great event, like it was some fashion show and we were the main event. I guess that's technically right, since all we are doing this whole week is showing off. I _hate_ people like that.

"A shower sounds nice," I said generally. I didn't know _any_ of these people, I realized. Plus I just ruined the one ally I could have had. Well it's better than being friends. If I'm friends with this girl I'm in trouble. This is a fight to the death, not some school project. Unfortunately if I became friends with Red then I would treat her like I do all my friends; with undying loyalty and a need to sacrifice myself. I couldn't do that if I wanted to go home. I couldn't. That means I had to be on my own. My mom had told me once about the heroes of old- strong men and gods. Apparently these heroes had things called 'fatal flaws'. She said that if I was one of those, loyalty would be mine. I didn't use to think it was a fault, but now I get it.

Kym pointed to the door to our left where two Peacekeepers stood guard. I nodded, stood up, waited for Triton to let me out of the booth, and proceeded to take the best shower I'd ever take in my whole life.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ I am soooo excited for this story. I have a lot of ideas and a lot of character stuff I think should be interesting. I know that Percy seems like a dick right now, but remember that this is _the Hunger Games_ , soooo yeah. Next chapter we'll meet all the other tributes and meet Percy's trainer! Don't forget to fav and review! Check out my other works! Oh, and one question- should the story be Percy's POV the entire time, or do you want a character variety? Anyway, Ciao ~Cryellow


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**_ Why hello there people and yes I am trying my best to update my stories, but my laptop is out of commission. My cat decided to be an asshole and she ruined it (don't want to talk about it- I'm still mad). So, I'm using my parent's laptops intermittently so some stories _might_ be updated if I come up with good excuses, but know that it might take a while. For the purpose of my own creative flow- I'm updating this one. I've had this _whole_ story in my head for wayyy too long now. Just wanted to let you people know that I'm okay, and have fun with the next chapter.

 _ **Note!**_ There is some PercyxRachel stuff in here, since I'm trying to stick to a little of what happened canonically in the PJO books, so if that isn't your cup of tea, I'm really sorry. Don't worry- it isn't smut or I would have made it M, but there is a lot of (not really but I have no other word) fluffy thoughts from Percy to Rachel, so imagine them as whoever you want if you don't like it. Sorry again, but it's what I've imagined in my head. Don't worry though, since like the books, it won't last forever. Muhahahaha~

 _Summary_ : Percy Jackson lives in District 4. What happens when his name is one of many in the reaping pool? What happens when he meets the other opponents, and finds that they have lives too? The 70th Hunger Games is looking to be spectacular, on all accounts. Will Percy Jackson join the careers, or will he stick to his own script? What will the Capitol have to say if he does? What happens if President Kronos doesn't like all the mysterious talk about rebellion among the Districts? Percy Jackson AU- Where everyone is in Panem. (Not calling it a crossover, since I only use Percy Jackson characters).

Disclaimers: I don't own a damn thing. Not PJO, HOO, or HG. Those reservations go to Suzanne Collins and Rick the mighty Riordan.

Warnings: Eh, it's a mix of horrible pain, gore, and well, sadness and misery. It's the Hunger Games people. Major character death/minor character death. A whole lot of death, so prepare yourself.

~~~!~~~

Percy's POV

There were many cars on our train to the Capitol. There was the dining car, the caboose (heh), a car for each occupant on the train, a Peacekeeper car, and finally a sort of relaxation car with a T.V. and some couches. Honestly, I think it's all a bit much. It's only like six hours to the Capitol. No need for all the festivities, but I guess that's just the Capitol for you. Waste all your good resources on fancy train rides for kids who'll be dead in about a week, instead of spreading the wealth to the Districts who are in poverty. Yeah, real smart President Kronos.

I sat in a big blue armchair, one leg crossed over the other, my hair dripping onto my shoulders lightly from my shower. In a few moments the reaping would be airing for all of Panem to see. Rachel sat on a wood stool, her back slouching, hands in her lap, and bright red hair in a thin ponytail. Our other three (forced, mind you) companions were sitting between us on a large couch, Triton closer to me, Kym in the middle, and Amphitrite next to Rachel. With a gleeful shout, Kym pounted to the giant screen in front of us as it lit up with the Capitol's emblem and the anthem.

"It's starting! Oh I'm _so_ excited!" Kym's Capitol accent came out harsh and funny. Really, do they know how utterly ridiculous they sound?

"Hello Panem and welcome to the Seventieth annual Hunger Games! We have quite a show today folks, so sit back and watch this year's reaping." The man on the screen was none other than Prometheus. Quick statement about this guy- he's the most flaming person you'll ever meet, he's an announcer for the Hunger Games, and he always has a new color scheme for each Games. He has this cheery smile and easy way of talking that will make anyone sound like a movie star, even some of the sailors from the lower side of District 4. This year's theme must be bright orange, cause he's decked out in the stuff. Just like Kym, whose scheme of poop green always disgusts, his themes are similarly grotesque. His hair was in a poof this year, and his makeup reminded me of an orange that was _just_ the amount of ripe. It was all just a little too bright for me. His job description includes narrating the reaping, and the arena, as well as interviewing the tributes, and talking to the victor after the Games, all on live national television.

With a smooth transition the screen changed to the image of District One's square, where a stage was set up for their reaping. District One- luxury and riches. The escort for District One, someone who I dimly remembered as Thanatos, stood center stage. With his dark handsome looks, he twisted his face into a smile and read the female name.

"Hazel Levesque!" A short girl of about 14 walked up on stage, caramel hair flowing a little in the wind, and gold eyes looking around nervously. She looked like she could hold her own, but would probably have preferred not to. There was a silence as no one volunteered for the girl, everyone probably thinking she's an appropriate tribute. With another smile, Thanatos reached into the other fishbowl holding the boy's names and spoke into the mic.

"Nico di Angelo!" At the sound of his name, an olive skinned boy stepped up onto the stage. He had black hair, withered cheeks, a good frame of muscle, and a determined look. I didn't quite know how old he was, but I guessed it was about 16.

"Di Angelo," came Prometheus' voice, as suddenly the video was changed so that the window with District One's tributes was in the corner of the screen, and two big images of Prometheus and his sidekick Krios sitting in chairs around a table was shown.

"We've sure heard that name before," Krios confirmed. "His sister Bianca volunteered for last year's Hunger Games, hoping for glory. Died by avalanche, if any of Panem remembers. What a terrible fate."

"Ouch," Prometheus said with a half smile and a head shake. "Looks like his time to shine, eh? Prove how much better he is than his sister? This should be a good Games already, folks."

I took a look at both of the tributes from One with a sense of dread. I'm going to have to kill these people, or watch them get killed. By the sounds of it, the Games had already screwed up this Nico kid pretty bad. It took his sister, after all and now it's taken him. That's rough.

With a flash of light, District Two's town square showed on the screen. District Two- artillery, weaponry, and something they never really say- Peacekeepers. The girl I didn't pay much attention to, but the boy was something to take notes about. He was tall, blonde, muscular, and he had defiant blue eyes that seemed to say ' _yeah, I'm here, but it's no big deal. It'll be over with soon enough and then I can come back home and skip school'_.

"Jason Grace. Nice name," commented Prometheus. "Isn't that his sister behind him? The victor?"

"You bet your bottom, Prometheus. Thalia Grace, winner of the Sixty-Fourth Hunger Games." Krios said with a laugh. "There seems to be a theme here, my friend."

"There often is, as time goes by, Krios. Siblings, children, families. All of them go through the Hunger Games. Let's see if they live up to their names." Prometheus said with a wink, as District Three's stage came into view.

District Three- electronics and technology. Three's escort picked from the girl's fishbowl and smiled for the crowd.

"Annabeth Chase!"

A seventeen year old girl, she looked pretty old to me, walked up onstage. She had a haughty aura- even through the T.V, and a nice tan with blonde hair the color of sand. She had a pride in her eyes that made me think she would win this purely because she believed she could. No one volunteered for her, and the escort read the male's name as "Malcolm". They looked similar, even if the boy looked younger by about a year, but didn't have the same last name, so I guessed they weren't related at all.

"That's a nice pair there," said Krios casually, like he was describing a pair of shoes and not a pair of teenagers. With another transition, District Four's reaping was on T.V. I took a deep breath as I mentally prepared myself to see what Panem will see of me.

We saw Kym pull Rachel's name from the fishbowl, proceeded by the red head climbing onstage with a fearful look.

"My hair looks fan _tastic_ ," Kym said happily, running a hand through the green locks. I remained focused on the T.V., not ready to see what I knew was coming.

Briares' name is called and both narrators on screen chuckled a little. "He's so small!" Prometheus said animatedly. There was a split second of pause before my voice rang out of the crowd, and I began walking up to the stage.

"A volunteer. My guess is he's in it for the glory." Krios said reasonably. I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought I'd be one of _those_ idiots. I may be stupid for volunteering, but at least I had a good reason. This isn't about personal gain for me.

I heard Kym's voice ring through the crowd, asking my name and my motive. I don't look too bad up there at least. I look slightly bored with a hint of disapproval. Internally I am screaming victory, but outside I just raise an eyebrow as both commentators look at me like a particularly fine piece of meat.

"A promise, how sweet," Prometheus said with a little swoon. I didn't know what to think of the guy.

"He looks like a good one. Nice and handsome," Krios added, nodding his head. "Swift, by the looks of it, and quite a bit of muscle on those bones."

"Yes. That's good."

"I say he has a good chance."

After they were done, District Five's square came into view. Five- power. I wish I could tell you that I remembered every other one of the names by heart, and that every tribute's face was impossible to forget just from the reaping, but I can't. I remembered a few of them, though. A burly guy named Frank from Five, twins from Six, a scary girl named Reyna who volunteered from Seven, another blonde guy named Will from Ten, and an impish looking kid named Leo from Twelve.

All in all I was scared shitless, since only one of all of us would be surviving this mess. The only thing that calmed me a bit was the fact that I was from a Career District. No matter what, all of us usually stick together in the Games. It's just what you _do_.

Okay, if you didn't quite grasp that last part, let me explain. See, District Four as a whole is _really_ wealthy. I know a lot of people who had nice homes and always ate. I, on the other hand, was not one of those people. Those people were the kind of people who raised Career Tributes. Now, it's illegal to do it, but we need _some_ sort of glory for District Four, or we'll just be the fish district, and none of us want that.

What these families do is train their kid up for slaughter or victory, having them volunteer for the Games in place of weaker tributes. It's the worst thing I can think of doing to your kid, but hey, what do I know? I'm only in the Games myself, now. Anyway, well since Districts One and Two also do this, we ended up forming a group during the Games. The six tributes from the three districts band together until, well... they're the last ones standing. From there it's a free for all, but most of the time the alliance either breaks down before then, or helps them together along the way. It's a pretty stable thing to be in, and I'm really grateful for my district that I'm in that group.

All in all, I have it pretty good compared to a lot of the other tributes.

When the broadcast is complete, the three adults get up to leave. Kym looked between Rachel and myself with a contemplative look. "We have a few hours before we arrive, so get your camera smiles on!"

With a smile herself, and a whirl, they left Rachel and I alone. I took the moment to look at her hunched over form for a moment and was startled to see that she was crying.

"What is it all supposed to mean...?" She said quietly. Her head was down and her tears were falling into her lap as she stared at her skirt. I knew she was probably talking to herself, but I couldn't help it. What did she mean? The Games? Or life? And why was she contemplating this right before we have to arrive at the Capitol? "I don't- I don't know anymore..."

My throat felt dry. For some reason I wanted to help this girl- she seemed like it was all a little much for her. It would be for anyone, I guess, but to be trained to be mayor? And then shipped off to the Games? That's especially rough- again, guessing, since I have no absolute clue, but the sentiment is there. To me, she seemed like someone who would have done better with talking and helping people, than being in a death match to kill your opponents.

I looked at Rachel's form and for a moment I was reminded of home- the rocky places where things are always a surprise, where sometimes even the wealthiest and happiest kids have struggles- I found it in Rachel.

Now, before you jump down my neck, I didn't come into these Games with the intention of getting a girlfriend- usually that stuff isn't a good idea with the whole I'm-going-to-have-to-kill-you-to-survive thing. Even with that thought, I also have to say that this girl was making me feel some type of way- and I don't even know her at all. It was a very strange thing.

With a gulp, I swallowed my pride. "It's okay."

I looked her in the eyes and her's met mine. She looked scared beyond measure, and I was pretty sure she hadn't remembered I was there. Her red hair was falling over her shoulders, since strands of it had come out of her hair tie. There were a few tears that were racing down her cheeks, and her eyelashes were clumped together from the dampness.

"How can you say that? Don't tell me you're one of those Careers are you? You look built for it..." She said a little angry. I guess the idea hadn't come to her before, but now she seemed irritated at the notion. I couldn't blame her, since I hate the Careers almost as much. They volunteer to be in a Game and kill people for entertainment. What kind of sick people do that?! Answer- me, but I guess I'm a different case. I shook my head at her, my face trying to come undone from the scowl I'd had on since the reaping aired.

"I'm not a Career," I said seriously. "And it's okay. You aren't alone."

If I had thought my words would calm her, boy was I wrong.

"That's the problem isn't it?! Only one of us can survive this, and those guys from One and Two? They're going to tear me apart! _You_ could tear me apart! How am I supposed to go through this?" She cried some more, looking even a little more fearful in my direction. I put my hands up like I was talking to a wild animal and not a teenage girl.

"I-I...I'm not going to kill you," I said decisively. "Even if- even if I die, I'd want someone from home to win. Besides, I couldn't bring myself to kill you, after all you've told me."

"But I haven't told you barely anything about myself!" She said upset. "All I told you was that I was home-schooled!"

I made a note to remember that she hadn't shared the sentiment- she never said that she couldn't kill me. It made the back of my neck burn like sand paper. Regardless, I had made my decision. I wasn't going to be the one to kill her- and as dangerous as I knew it was, and how stupid I was being- I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it. I'd sooner bite it myself. Even if I could kill another person, I wouldn't be able to kill Rachel Dare.

"You told me you like to be called Red," I said plainly. "But if that's not enough then how about you tell me more?"

"Like...what?" She said consciously. Red swept a lock of her red hair behind her ear and looked at me questioningly. I swallowed a little at her affect on myself. She was making me feel so _weird_ , it was like I was in the presence of some ancient being, but also someone totally different. I knew that this was really no time for a crush- I seriously hadn't wanted one for sure, but I knew it was happening anyway. Great. The one girl I get a crush on and it's someone who is going to die, or is going to see _me_ die. Just great.

I thought about her question and decided that family wasn't a good idea- I don't think I could talk about _anyone_ back home right now. It'd be too painful for both me and her. I racked my brain for something that will tell me more about this girl.

"What do you like to do for fun?" I asked her after a bit. I knew my scowl had finally disappeared and my jaw felt raw after all the clenching I did today. Red blinked her eyes, wiped away a stray tear, and thought about how she should answer. After all, why should she be honest? She could lie all she wanted, it's not like I'd know the difference anyway. I guess she decided for honesty, since she knew quite about the topic.

"Painting," she said softly. "I love to paint and draw. It was always one of my favorite things. Sometimes I... well, I draw things from the Games. It's just an inspiration, I really don't agree with it, but...Whenever I draw things from the Games, they end up being my best work."

"Morbid," I said with a half smile. I knew it wasn't something to be laughing about, but seeing the situation at hand proved the irony. She laughed at she remembered where we were.

"I guess," she said, her mouth still open from the laugh. She had a nice laugh- one that filled the room with it's resonance. "I have a lot of colors at home, and when I get particularly moody, I go to the separate room I have and paint the rest of the day. Sometimes I even skip meals if I'm determined enough, but most of the time it just calms me down."

Red stopped after a pause and looked out of the window closest to her. She looked like she was remembering those hours with pride and with a surge of jealousy I realized I never really had anything other than water-based fun, and for District Four, that's kind of on the boring side. Her head moved as she looked back at me once more, her face obviously curious.

"What about you? What do you do for fun?"

I took a deep breath and thought about my own question. "I love to swim. It's an amazing sport, but it's also an exploration. Sometimes when I'm underwater, I can see whole schools of fish swimming deep below the surface. Fish have always fascinated me."

I felt the air between Red and myself loosen as we both thought about things we loved. Blinking my eyes, I turned to Rachel, my lips lowered a little in concentration.

"I'm sorry for what I said and did earlier. I just- I have to be strong. I know myself, and I have an affinity for making friends and being loyal. That's not a good trait for the Hunger Games."

"I wish I knew my weakness," She replied, her brows furrowing.

"Oh, you have one, don't fret. Everyone does, even if it isn't present from the beginning."

"Who taught you that?"

I felt a stab to the chest as I remembered. It wasn't her fault- she didn't know who had told me these things, but it was still painful. "My mom...She said that long before the Districts were defeated by the Capitol, there were these things called Greek heroes. It was a bunch of myths that were spread so that you could learn morals. Well, these Greek heroes, the only problem was that they all had a flaw. Some of them had the same flaw, and some of them had others. The mythological beasts would use this flaw to their advantage, and kill the hero by flaunting that flaw...My mom always told me it's good to know your weaknesses early in life, so you could learn your way around them in the face of danger. I swear it's like that woman could read the future."

"Like the Oracle," Red said bluntly. She obviously knew she had hit a nerve at making me think of my mother, but apparently that wasn't the only source of curiosity for the red-head.

"I never really read up on the myths, only vague stories about the heroes," I said looking at her with blinking eyes. "Who's the Org-le?"

"Or-a-cle," She said, spelling it out for me. "And the Oracle was the fortune teller of Greek mythology. It knew prophecies and could see the future long before it happened."

"You must have some fancy books at your house," I said with a smirk. Red gave another one of her genuine smiles in my direction.

"My father thought it was important to know about the world's past before we can work for the future."

"I guess so," I said, my head a haze of thoughts. My mind was racking through all the myths I'd read. Theseus, Odysseus, Heracles. All the men who had valiantly trucked through with even the help of the gods. Every one of them had a weakness. "But what kind of future can we have with President Kro-"

I was interrupted by loud shouting voices that were coming ever closer. I knew who they were- it was the Capitol citizens, the hundreds of people shouting on their tributes and excitedly waiting for the Games. I felt my face pull into a scowl as I the voices got clearer as the train got slower. Rachel turned to me with an odd half smile.

"You know, you should really make an effort," Red said, walking up to the window. "There could be potential sponsors in the audience."

I felt my face falter as I tried to figure out her motive. "Why would you say something like that? We are against each other."

"Let's just say," Red said, her eyes gleaming a little. She looked like a snake with red hair for a moment, and I was shocked by how weird this girl really was. "You look sort of constipated when you pull your angry guy face."

"I do not," I said, my face falling completely from the scowl. "And why should I make them _like_ me? They want to watch me get killed!"

"Yes, but maybe there is someone in there who wants to see you live, too."

I had a feeling that Rachel Dare wasn't only talking about the Capitol citizens.

~~~!~~~

After you enter the Capitol you're dragged off to this place and prepped for, well, a super model type treatment, all over your body. I really don't remember much about the place itself, but I remember the treatments and the waiting.

I had three people from my prep crew and all of them were Capitol nut jobs who were excited and talked in a funny accent. They were in charge of making me look nice enough and fit enough for the audience's entertainment. One of the things they had to do was have me bathe in this _stuff_ and it was just about the grossest thing on the planet. It felt like I was swimming in warm boogers, and afterwards I found that I didn't have any body hair. They rubbed some on my chin and it effectively killed off any bit of a beard I had hoped to grow. Great. Now I get to die looking like I'm twelve again.

After all the prep was done, they showed me to a private room fitted with a mirror and this weird table-like thing that my prep team made me sit on. I was completely in the nude under my bathrobe, but I wasn't too worried.

When I'm underwater, it feels like I'm naked anyway. It makes me feel free and calms me more than talking to my mom, which says a lot. Regardless of the calming effect, I actually have fought something naked. Paul and I were out fishing once, and Paul decided to go a bit out of range than we usually did. We caught a big haul that day, so I never complained, but coming back was a little scary to say the least. Paul had accidentally put us right into the path of a small shark, and it looked angry we were near it. I also knew it was angry because it started rocking the boat pretty badly. I ended up knocked out of the boat, and my pants got ripped down one side from a stray hook on the side of our tiny boat. When the shark knew I was in the water, it charged at me and ripped my shirt right off of my body. I didn't really have anything to fight it off with, but I was pretty mad that it had ruined my time with Paul. The next time it charged at me, I used trident, which had fallen in the water with me, and stabbed it clean in the head. When I got back on board, I was wet, naked, and hauling a small shark on board. It made some pretty good money and my mom used it to buy me some new clothes.

My thoughts were dragged away from my mom abruptly when a man walked in the room. He had dark skin, dark eyes, and a long dark mane of black hair that was in a ponytail behind his head. He was wearing simple clothes- a casual shirt and nice pants and he had a funky spike earring.

"Why hello there, you must be Percy," He said, coming inside to stand in front of me. I give him a slight frown as I determine who he is. He's my designer, basically a Capitol nut who puts us in costumes for various things during the week. Let's just say that I don't like playing a parading monkey.

"Duh," I say rather bluntly. With a weird neigh-type laugh he shook his head.

"I'm Blackjack," he says, offering his hand. For a moment I don't get why I hesitate- and then I understand. The way he spoke wasn't the Capitol's stupid babble. It sounded more like what my mom would call a 'mafia' type way of speaking. It was almost as funny as the Capitol, though. I shook his hand a little hesitant as the weight of his job poured down on me. He was supposed to dress me up to die.

"How about you get out of that bathrobe and then I can take your measurements?" He says smoothly. I stand up, now a little nervous at the fact this grown man was going to see me naked, but took off the bathrobe nonetheless. He nods his head in a knowing way and gets out a tape measure. For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, he has me measured from every angle.

By the time he tells me that I can put my bathrobe on, I'm starving and bored out of my mind. I have effectively decided that I don't really hate Blackjack. He's rather nice, and he tried his best not to make me too uncomfortable. He looked like he was about to say something, but was interrupted by my stomach making a deep growl. With a grin he crossed his arms and nudged his head at the door.

"Sounds like a good excuse as any," He said. I followed him as we made our way down the hallway into a small room with two blue couches and a low table laden with some food. It had a ham on it, and it looked glazed and covered in pineapple slices. I took one glance at Blackjack before I took a huge chunk of a slice and began eating with vigor. The ham tasted like a campfire, and I'd never really had anything like it. Sure, you could get ham from the market with enough money, but my family didn't have a lot to waste on extravagant foods. After a little while of me eating, I looked up and saw that Blackjack was grinning stupidly at me.

"What? Do you not eat in the Capitol?" I asked defensive. I really didn't want to be judged by someone who took part to help in the Games.

"We eat," Blackjack said. I noticed that he had a donut in his hand, and I wondered where he had picked it up from. He had taken two bites from it, but he was too focused on my eating to continue. "I think you look funny when you eat. You're like a piranha."

I made no comment but continued eating, not wanting anything to go to waste.

"I think you know how my job works, Percy." Blackjack said simply, eating his way slowly through his donut. "I dress you up for the opening ceremony and the interviews and I am the last one to see you before the Games."

My heart gave a drop as I remembered the opening ceremony. I had totally forgotten about it, but it is one of the most important things about the Games. You dress up and parade around the Capitol dressed in your District's theme and praying that the richest person with throw some money your way. This means that for District Four, we get fish and the like. We even had the tributes in fish costumes one year, and _that_ was a disgrace. We all try to forget it, but being here in front of Blackjack made me think the guy would do it if he thought he could get a good kick out of it.

"This year we are focusing on the details a bit," Blackjack continued calmly. _Great_. A fish costume for sure. "Mainly the details of the Districts themselves and the smaller things about what doing their job entails."

I cocked an eyebrow and sat up straight, focusing on Blackjack. I didn't really know what he was talking about, since the details of my district were things like fishhooks and spears and _that_ stuff came during the Games. That's a strict no-no for before the Arena.

"How do you feel about fish nets?"

~~~!~~~

Answer to his question- very strongly negative. What I had in mind was a dress like cloth around my entire body made entirely of fish nets. What I got instead was woven fabric that resembled the baskets we carry for fish at home. It looked pretty nice if I was honest. The only problem with it was that Blackjack seemed to think we barely wore anything at home. My costume resembled a pair of underwear only tighter and fishnet-like fabric overlaying the woven parts in a nice way. My feet were in sandals made of the fishnet stuff and my hair was a rumpled mess with seashells in it. I felt _really_ bare around everyone, since all the other tributes were in full body suits or had clothes that weren't nearly as revealing. Rachel and I were the only two tributes that looked utterly ridiculous, seeing as they made her a bathing suit of the same material my costumes in. I didn't fret too much, since I felt pretty powerful looking at the other tributes. They all looked pretty weak, especially the guy tribute from District Twelve, but other than that there was the other Careers. I guess they had accepted me because when I arrived in costume the other two girls and two guys from Districts One and Two waved me over. With a daring look, I walked over to the blonde guy from One and the olive-skinned guy from Two. Jason and Nico.

"Hey, you must be the guy from Four," Jason said with a head nod. "Percy, right?"

"Yeah," I said smoothly. I looked between the two of them. Jason was decked out in a toga-like thing made of gold fabric. He was taller than I imagined, but he was only about an inch taller than myself. He had a scar on his upper lip and a pair of glasses hanging from his pocket like an after thought. Nico, on the other hand, was decked in all black with a bunch of different jewels and beads looking like stars. His outfit was more on the casual side, it looking more like a suit than a costume. "You must be Jason and Nico."

"Well don't forget about us, boys" said a blonde behind Jason. The girl was in a toga similar to the tall teen, looking like it was made of gold. The girl had long blonde hair and I guessed that District Two was all mainly blondes. I knew it was stereotypical, but honestly I could care less. The blonde wasn't the only one, either. The dark-skinned girl from One walked over, talking in a heated discussion with Rachel.

"I'm Helen, pleased to meet you!" the blonde said brightly, her face lit up with a winning smile. She had her hand out to me and I shook it, returning the politeness. "Oh, and this is Hazel."

Hazel was in a pants suit designed similar to Nico's suit, except for the special jewelry she had around her neck and arms. Without coming out of the conversation, Hazel gave a wave of her hand.

"I'm Percy," I said cooly, pointing in turn to Red. "If you guys don't already know her, that's Rachel."

"Going to be a good Games this year," Jason said looking around at our other tributes. "A lot of good competitors."

"The question is," Nico's voice came out soft and low. It was like a cool cave that was lit by stalactites during the winter. "Do we want to stick with us six or gain a few?"

Adding people into the Careers wasn't unheard of, in fact it was done quite often. Stronger characters from random Districts that looked like they could pull their own weight if they needed to were often the case. Occasionally one of the Careers will pick a tribute from a District to use as bait during the Arena while they made a retreat. Sometimes the Careers could be that cruel, but usually it's because they actually value the tribute and see them as a wise addition to the group. It's also not unheard of for one of the six from One, Two, and Four, not to get in. Either they don't show any promise or the fact that they would tie down the group, but sometimes it is possible for them to be left out of the support system. Often these people die off relatively fast in the Arena, but there are some exceptions to this rule. Example being Triton, my mentor. The careers saw him as too weak, and since he didn't have much fishing experience, he didn't have a lot of showy qualities. Boy were they in for a show, though, because when the Arena started, he showed everyone how fast he was, and he murdered the Careers within a few days. Including the other tribute from our District, but him coming home kind of made up for that.

Let me just recap everything I've said- the Games are bloody and difficult. Period.

My brain coming back into focus, I looked around at the other tributes to see if there was anyone we could have as an ally. There was the impish kid from Twelve, Leo and another one stood out- the teenage girl from Three. Annabeth was her name.

"Why are we jumping the gun, hm? Maybe we should focus on our outfits because- _damn_ Percy you look _hot!"_ Helen said with a fan of her hand to her face. I felt my cheeks heat up a little at the praise as I shifted some in the awkward outfit.

"I don't get why I have to be the half-naked one, while everyone else look like suit models. I mean, look at Nico! He looks like he stepped out of a business meeting just to catch a casual Games!" I quipped a little flustered. It was all just a show for sponsors, but I honestly don't get why anyone would want to see me so nearly naked.

"Well, I mean, other than Jason, you have the greatest body here." Hazel said, having finally finished with her conversation with Red to join ours. "Your designer is supposed to play on your stronger aspects. Your's is how great you look, while Nico's is how intimidating he is."

"I'm not intimidating," Nico said quietly, glaring at Hazel like she was an annoying younger sister.

Everyone except Nico burst out laughing and we were corralled into our horse-drawn chariot by our designers.

I stood next to Rachel in the chariot and my eyes fell over to Annabeth once more. She had her sandy blonde hair in curls all the way down and her face looked pretty fierce as she stood in her chariot. She was wearing what looked like the pages of an old book without the writing. It was a long off white dress that made me feel like she held all the knowledge in the world.

"Hey," Blackjack said beside me. His hair was as shiny as ever and he was wearing sea foam green to match us. "You in there?"

He tapped my head with a finger and my attention turned from Annabeth back to him. "Wha?"

"Man, I've been telling you about the water function."

"What water function?" I said stupidly. He was holding a tiny button in his hand to show me.

" _This_ water function. You press the button and it makes it look like you're underwater."

I blinked my eyes at him uncomprehendingly. How the hell would that work? Before I could ask him, however, the bell chimed for District One's tributes to leave and start the ceremony.

 _ **Author's note:**_ Please don't hate me for not updating! I want to, I swear, but my laptop is destroyed and I've had almost no way to actually turn it on, so it's been impossible to use. Helen is a play on Helen of Troy, so that should be interesting. Also, there are a lot of parallels with the Hunger Games, but that's just for like, vibes and stuff. I hope you like this chapter! Don't forget to give me feedback in a review, fav, and read my other works! Ciao! ~Cryellow


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